With the continuing U.S. economic meltdown having a domino effect worldwide, and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the next American president will have to project savoir-faire not only at home, but also abroad.
Historically, the U.S. and Europe have been allies and trade partners, so it stands to reason that tensions are also elevated across the pond as Nov. 4 approaches. While Sen. John McCain has claimed superior foreign policy experience, Sen. Barack Obama has won the favor of the European media. But which candidate would everyday Europeans choose? I used a visit to Europe in earlier this month to vet several people not only about who they would pick if they were able to vote in the upcoming U.S. election, but why.
I spoke with over 30 people, of all ages and backgrounds, from several countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Poland, the Netherlands and Turkey. I did not have any prior knowledge of their political dispositions, nor did they of mine. I asked a simple question: If you were able to vote in the U.S. election, who would you vote for? McCain, Obama or another candidate, and why? Two people said they preferred neither candidate. The rest said Obama. But why? Isn’t Obama’s lack of experience a potential barrier to effective foreign policy?
Not really ““ at least in the minds of those who will feel the direct impacts of the next administration’s foreign policy. A majority of people said that they wanted troops pulled out of Iraq, and that they thought Obama would do so more quickly. A Finnish schoolteacher named Auli also said “Barack Obama as president would represent a less threatening America in the world.”
In addition, many seemed to prefer Obama’s personality. They used words such as “fair,” “positive” and “smart” to describe him. Several people said he “thinks like us.” Obama’s campaign mantra has also captured the European imagination: Several people described Obama as inducing “positive change.”
In contrast, McCain was described by the Europeans I spoke with as generating fear, being aggressive, and generally being “old and grumpy,” as a Polish woman named Sarah not-so-delicately put it.
Finally, over half the people interviewed cited race as a reason why Obama would receive their support ““ an interesting point considering that this issue is appearing in the U.S. media with increasing frequency. For example, CNN Headline News aired a report entitled “Tackling Racism in the Campaign” on Oct. 12 in which they reported that “race may play a role in the way people vote,” and that Obama supporters in Ohio and several other battleground states saw race as the “last potential barrier to victory.”
So why should we care what people in Europe think? The now-worldwide economic crisis has highlighted two important points: first, that the U.S. and Europe are more closely linked than ever, and second, that we need a president who can look to the Middle East and beyond, as well as rekindle old relationships that have cooled demonstrably during the last eight years.
No experience necessary? I wouldn’t go that far, but it does seem that number of years in politics may not exactly add up to effective foreign policy.
Tingstad is a graduate student of geography at UCLA.